Russia’s registered Covid-19 vaccine is named after the first man-made satellite

MOSCOW, Aug 11, 2020, TASS. The world’s first registered vaccine against the coronavirus infection which was developed in Russia was named Sputnik V, the official vaccine website launched on Tuesday said, TASS reported.

“In 1957, the successful launch of the first man-made satellite by the Soviet Union activated space research in the entire world. Thanks to this comparison, the vaccine received the name of Sputnik V,” the website explains. It is noted that currently over 160 vaccines against the coronavirus are developed worldwide.

The web resource is created “to spread detailed and up-to-date information about the vaccine” and “to fight the disinformation campaign about the vaccine launched by several international news outlets,” the statement said. Earlier on Tuesday, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) Kirill Dmitriev stated that there are “coordinated and carefully planned information attacks on the Russian vaccine” in the world.

Russian President Vladimir Putin reported on Tuesday morning that Russia was the first in the world to register a vaccine against the coronavirus. This is the development of the Gamaleya National Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology of the Russian Healthcare Ministry which passed clinical trials in June-July.